One of my very favorite things to do is to create when I'm in the kitchen. I love to take leftovers and transform them into a whole new meal. I like to substitute ingredients when necessary and still come out with something spectacular.But, what I like most of all is to take something as glorious as a prime rib of beef and turn it into not one, but three elegant, easy and totally different meals. You may think that prime rib is fancy, expensive or pretentious, perhaps all three. You may be intimidated but a huge hunk of beef that will set you back $45.00 on sale. Don't let it scare you.
I cooked the whole holiday meal this year for Terrell's family and we had Prime Rib. While I have cooked prime rib many a time, this was for people that I love and I wanted the meal to be perfect. I had performance anxiety, I had doubts, I changed my recipe four times. Where was I going to cook it (we were eating at my sister in law's house 2 hours away)? How was I going to cook 16 pounds of meat? How would I function in a kitchen that was not mine? What if I screwed up $100 worth of dinner and the whole meal? All of these thoughts were running through my head! I even had a "practice run" before hand and perfected my recipe. Terrell and Dalton were almost tired of eating Prime Rib! Everyone offered to help me, several times, but I would hear nothing of it, this had become a challenge to myself and I was going to win!
I then calmed myself down, remembered that it's only a steak (just a big one) and that my family would still think highly of my kitchen skills even if I screwed up. It was decided I would cook at Cathy's house (my sil). I packed up my whole kitchen (it seemed). Apron? check! Knife? check! fresh ground pepper? check! and the list went on. We got there without forgetting anything, for which I thank God. I set up my station, unpacked my ingredients and went about playing chef! I trimmed, seasoned and slathered in fresh chopped garlic. We had two beautiful eight pound, bone in, ribs of beef! Magnificent! After cooking, testing, temping, worrying and resting, I now had to carve those bad boys! It seemed like an eternity to wait the mandatory resting time of atleast 15 minutes. I also had to stave off everyone who "just wanted a peek" and then tried to snag a piece!
I set up my cutting board. I got my knives ready and proceeded to carve. First one slice around the bone. Second a slice down the side of meat. Then one slice to Nirvana. You could hear the knife against the crackle of carmelized fat. The crusty coating of garlic, parsley and black pepper falling against the meat when I sliced it. I made another slice and another. The smell was heaven! There was a hint of rosemary, some heat from the peppercorns and freshness from the parsley. OMG, I can smell it now. Turns out, one roast was a perfect medium rare, the other a perfect medium, Served with pan roasted potatoes, fresh green beans and your choice of au jus or horseradish cream sauce it was a meal worthy of $24.95 in a chain steak house. $39.99 in an upscale steak house. I know that's great, but what about the leftovers? That's the easy part.
The next day I sautee up thin slices of beef, add some sauteed peppers and onions and ~voila~ I make a cheese steak sandwich. Great no matter what sides you serve with it. (I am partial to roasted potato logs).
Once you have prime rib for dinner (sometimes twice), then have cheese steaks, you can get a bit tired of it. There is however, one more way to use the leftovers and have something totally different. Remember the bone we carved the prime rib from? Are you thinking what I'm thinking? Yep, you bet one of my favorites (and a request from Boo) French Onion Soup! That bone will make the most luscious stock ! Even if you don't have time to cook it now, throw the bone in the freezer for a cold rainy Sunday. It's an easy recipe you can throw on the stove and let simmer for hours (or not -if you're hungry). That recipe is one you will have to ask me for or wait for the cookbook to come out! :D
Don't be intimidated by a prime rib, they're very user friendly, versitile and with the many ways to use the leftovers it's really a deal of the day when you can buy it on sale.
Enjoy!
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